Born
in Moscow, the son of the painter and academicain Leonid Pasternak, he
graduated in 1913 from the philosophical departament of the Faculty of
History and Philology at Moscow University. In the summer of 1912 he studied
philosophy in the University of Marburg and went to Italy where he visited
Florence and Venice. Profoundly impressed by Scryabin's music, he devoted
the next six years to studying composition. His first poetry was published
in 1913. In 1917 Pasternak wrote the wonderful series of lyrics which forms
the book "My Sister Life". This led him being numbered as one of the most
important poets of his time. After the revolution of 1917 the poet worked
in the departament of libraries of the Peoples' Commisariat of Education.
In 1920 he joined LEF, the literary grouping which Vladimir Mayakovsky
has founded. The main work of his life was two-volumed novel "Doctor Zhivago".
He received the Nobel's award in 1958 for this work. It was the start of
his conflict with the ruling circles. This novel was forbidden for publishing
in USSR immediatly after it was created. The rulers perceive the fact of
awarding like the slap in the face. The poet was called to court for parasitism
(!). The formal reason was the absence of the special poetic aducation
(for ex. philological faculty). He was excluded from the Union of the Writers.